2016 Ballot Measures and Candidate Questionnaires

Posted Tuesday October 11, 2016 by Natalie

It’s election season – are you ready to #WalktheVote?

Walk San Francisco wants to make sure you know which ballot measures are critical to support for safe streets and greener, more walkable neighborhoods, and where the candidates who are running stand on all matters related to walking.

You can also help get the word out about this year’s important transportation-related measures as a Walk SF campaign volunteer! To get involved, RSVP today.

Propositions

Propositions

Walk SF is taking the following ballot positions:

Yes on J & K – The combined measure for homelessness and transportation: Prop K will raise critical funding through a small, 0.75% sales tax addition and Prop J will ensure this revenue is spent on the City’s most pressing needs – $100 million for safe, more reliable transportation and $50 million to fight homelessness annually. Transportation investments include an unprecedented 12.5% for Vision Zero and another 12.5% for transit equity and service (free Muni programs for seniors and youth, late night transit, and increased Muni service to prevent future service cuts). Another 45% will go to transit infrastructure improvements and regional transit investments. It’s important to note that the sales tax increase from 8.75% to 9.25%, would still make San Francisco’s sales tax rate lower than many Bay Area cities. In addition, residents only fund half of the sales tax; visitors, tourists and businesses fund the remaining half. We can’t win the critical investments from J without passing K!

Yes on E – The Healthy Trees and Safe Sidewalks measure: E ensures that the City is held responsible for sidewalk repairs related to tree damage (85% of sidewalk damage in San Francisco) and for maintaining healthy trees.

Yes on RR – The Bay Area Rapid Transit Bond: RR funds critical infrastructure improvements to ensure the long-term health of the BART system, while retaining and attracting new riders to help reduce traffic congestion on city streets.

No on L – A measure to Redistribute San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board Appointments and Change the SFMTA Budget Approval Threshold: Prop L reduces the threshold for the Board of Supervisors to overturn the SFMTA budget to a simple majority, which risks turning a data-driven budget and allocation planning into a political process. This measure also splits SFMTA Board Appointments between the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. Currently, the Mayor appoints SFMTA Board Members and the Board of Supervisors approves or vetoes appointments.

Candidates

To understand candidates’ positions on priorities that matter to you, Walk SF submitted and collected comprehensive candidate questionnaires in advance of the November 8th, 2016 election. All candidates running for District Supervisor, State Senate and State Assembly were asked to complete questionnaires.

Learn more about the candidates through highlighted statements below, or click on their name to review their full questionnaires.

When you vote, be sure to support Propositions J and K, E and Measure RR!

District1s

District 1

Andy Thornleystates “As you note, we all wake up pedestrians and we all go to sleep pedestrians, it’s the fundamental state of human being. We must protect and nurture a public realm that’s not only safe for walking (for whatever purpose, on foot or with a wheelchair or other assistance) but dignified and delightful.”

Marjan Philhour states I am running on a platform that publicly prioritizes transportation infrastructure and public safety and feel my election would represent the preferences of Richmond District residents to move forward with such improvements.

Jonathan Lyens states “If we are going to be successful in getting more young people walking or biking to school we need to demonstrate to our parents that it is a safe and effective way for kids to travel. This means that we must prioritize the pedestrian safety improvements…with a special focus on areas near our schools.”

Sandra Lee Fewer states “My vision for public transit is that it is accessible, affordable, efficient, and a system that everyone uses. It does not include the privatization of transit for the public. I believe that in order for everyone to use public transportation it must be used by people of all income levels, and that a combination of public transit and walking to arrive at one’s destination is ideal.”

Sherman D’Silva – no response

Samuel Kwong – no response

Brian Larkin – no response

David Lee – no response

Jason Jungreis states “I disagree with bulbouts and other obstructions placed in roadways. These do not enhance safety, they reduce parking, they are expensive, and they only present an impression of doing something about pedestrian safety while failing to address the important issues.”

Richie Greenburg states “I would like to thank you for the opportunity to consider your questionnaire. However, in my personal experience and research, I have found many flaws with the Vision Zero plan, and this movement is no stranger to criticism.”

District3s

District 3

District5s

District 5

London Breed states “The City is growing, getting denser, and correspondingly more congested. The only way we can accommodate this growth is with greater mode shift and an expanded transit infrastructure…All of these efforts allow—and encourage—more people to use transit instead of a car, but it is just as important that we encourage walking as a viable means of transportation. That means that we as a city need to invest not just in transit that benefits drivers, passengers and cyclists, but also pedestrians.” –

Dean Preston states “…as we look toward our transit future, I will make sure that pedestrian safety and walkability are top priorities in our planning process. The fact that everyday in San Francisco three pedestrians are hit by cars shows we need not just forward-thinking plans, but immediate action as well to protect the people taking our streets today.”

District7s

District 7

Norman Yee states “I was proud to co author the Vision Zero legislation that provides a framework that we are using to direct resources toward finding solutions that will make our streets safer for everyone. I have also, every year during the Budget process, been able to secure additional funding for Pedestrian Safety projects in my district which I have then allocated through a Participatory Budgeting effort to ensure that residents were involved in every step of the way as wells as championing and supporting additional citywide funding for the planning and implementation of Vision Zero project.”

District9s

District 9

Joshua Arce states “I am a supporter of the Safe Routes to School and Walk and Roll programs. It’s important that parents and kids are educated about the benefits of walking to and from school. This means keeping speed limits down, providing more crossing guards, encouraging walking school buses and bike trains, and decreasing traffic congestion around schools.”

Hilary Ronen states “As a mother, I’m incredibly concerned about speeding vehicles and the danger they present to both pedestrians and cyclists in our City. I do support the use of automated speed enforcement as well as decreased speed limits, and as Supervisor will work to hold SFPD accountable to their Focus on the Five pledge. ”

Melissa San Miguel states “I would prioritize people’s lives over parking spaces and automobile lanes. I will support enforcement of our laws to focus on the unsafe driving practices that are the main causes of death and injury. I will support city wide and community efforts to educate others on safer driving practices so we can have a culture shift within our city’s drivers, and I will support increases in funding to improve our streets so that they are safer to cross and walk on. Holding city agencies accountable for their role in reducing fatalities is important, as well as having the data and evaluation components available to measure our efforts.”

Iswari Espana-Metia – no response

District11s

District 11

Kim Alvarenga states “Whenever I have had the opportunity to speak at public hearings or meet with community organizations around transportation issues, I remind people of the importance of making improvements to our streets and roadways so that people would be encouraged to walk, bicycle, take public transit.It is a health issue and also a public safety issue in that as more people walk on the streets there is less likely to be criminal activity on the streets.”

Magdalena De Guzman states “The City should be safe for all residents when they walk, and cross the streets. There are things that we can implement in order for the residents to feel safe – slowing down the speed limits, putting more speed limit signs so that the drivers are aware of the speed limit, putting more stop signs, and adding more bumps on streets that are near schools. We should also create a lifestyle that allows people to keep their cars at home and take clean and safe public transportation that is on time and driven by a friendly driver.”

Ahsha Safai states “I envision a sustainable city for ALL: bikes, cars, pedestrians, and public transit connected through a network of transportation that respects the ease and safe travel of all forms. We must ensure that each mode of transportation is taken into consideration when designing our public transportation infrastructure system and ensure that all are respected and planned for properly. I believe that walking plays a crucial role in the overall transportation planning for San Francisco and is one of the things that make our city great – it is walkable and connected in such a way that makes walking easy and beautiful. I look forward to working with Walk SF to continue to improve upon the system we have for walkers.”

District17s

State Assembly, District 17

David Chiu states “I have been a strong supporter of Vision Zero since it was proposed in San Francisco during my service on the Board of Supervisors. I support Automated Speed Enforcement [safety cameras], believe it is potentially the most important Vision Zero strategy, and am looking closely at sponsoring it in the next legislative session. Since taking office, I have been working with ASE advocates in San Francisco, as well as the SFMTA to develop and implement a strategy for passing this bill.”

Matthew Del Carlo – no response

District19s

State Assembly, District 19

Phil Ting states “We deserve a system that integrates BART with MUNI buses and light rail in a way that make sense. We should be sure that transit stations and vehicle stops have good pedestrian access. In order to ensure that our transportation systems have good pedestrian access, we must implement Vision Zero. Walking is the simplest and most equitable form of transportation, so we must work to build walkable communities.”

Senates

Jane Kim states “District 6 has the highest rate of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, and since my first Board of Supervisors meeting in January 2011 when I called for my first Pedestrian Safety hearing, I have made pedestrian and bike safety a priority of my office. I have prioritized Vision Zero budget requests throughout the South of Market and Tenderloin, implementing lead pedestrian intervals, scramble signals, signalized crosswalks, and pushing through the funding, study, and plan for Second Street, Folsom/Howard, Tenderloin/Little Saigon Plan, Golden Gate/6th Street, and Polk Street. I have been one of the few Supervisors to successfully remove parking spaces through daylighting and also to increase safety on streets like the unit block of Turk and 100 block of Eddy Street.”

Scott Wiener states “I recently sponsored a .75% sales tax (Prop K) that has significant funding for Vision Zero. My opponent, Jane Kim voted against this measure. My 2014 Charter Amendment, Prop B, had dedicated funding for pedestrian safety. As a Supervisor, I authored and the City passed a series of pedestrian safety legislation. Furthermore, I have consistently fought for wider sidewalks and narrower street widths to make streets safer for pedestrians (i.e. the Castro street scape project).”

Don’t forget, whether you mail in or drop off an absentee ballot, or you go to a local polling station, be sure to support Propositions J and K, E and Measure RR!

And if you have the time, become a Walk SF campaign volunteer. To help get the vote out for transportation, RSVP today.